


this letter will not find you well

by propergoffic



Category: The Locked Tomb Trilogy | Gideon the Ninth Series - Tamsyn Muir
Genre: Epistolary, F/F, Random & Short
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:40:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28092540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/propergoffic/pseuds/propergoffic
Summary: FROM THE REVEREND DAUGHTER HARROWHARK NONAGESIMUS, HEIR TO THE NINTH HOUSE, NINTH SAINT TO SERVE THE KING UNDYING, NOW DECEASED,TO GIDEON NAV, CAVALIER PRIMARY TO THE NINTH HOUSE, IN THE EVENT OF HER RESURRECTION,TO BE READ IN ITS ENTIRETY.(Seriously, Griddle. You will be furious. This is fine. But read the whole damned letter through, please.)
Relationships: Gideon Nav/Harrowhark Nonagesimus
Comments: 2
Kudos: 78





	this letter will not find you well

**Author's Note:**

> Found in my phone notes. Thought I'd post.

FROM THE REVEREND DAUGHTER HARROWHARK NONAGESIMUS, HEIR TO THE NINTH HOUSE, NINTH SAINT TO SERVE THE KING UNDYING, NOW DECEASED,

TO GIDEON NAV, CAVALIER PRIMARY TO THE NINTH HOUSE, IN THE EVENT OF HER RESURRECTION,

TO BE READ IN ITS ENTIRETY.

(Seriously, Griddle. You will be furious. This is fine. But read the whole damned letter through. Please.)

If you are reading this, God is dead and so am I.

To be more specific: the Necrolord Prime, the Kindly Lord, the Resurrector and the Light and all the rest of it, is either permanently deceased or in a position where he may as well be, and from which there is no returning. Furthermore, the Tomb is almost certainly opened; thus the Ninth House is obsolete; thus the anchoring principle and justification for my existence no longer exists; thus I have elected to terminate it; thus you are formally released from your indenture.

I will not ask you not to hate me for that. I will inform you that it's the reason you are currently sentient, hopefully embodied, ideally alive and in your own body and in a position to feel anything at all.

If you wish to abuse me for this in person, this is what you need to do next.

1) Preserve my body to the best of your ability.  
2) Locate a necromantic adept who can be trusted. I recommend Palamedes the Sixth, who has undergone this process and come back from a lot less than whatever is left of me. (Camilla the Sixth owes me a favour. Do not be afraid to remind her of this.) A competent member of the Fifth or Seventh should suffice. (DO NOT APPROACH THE THIRD OR EIGHTH HOUSES. I MEAN IT. THEY WILL IN ALL LIKELIHOOD DESTROY ME ON SIGHT.)  
3) Have them enact the following process...

_There follow a page and a half of theorems, diagrams and procedures, which Gideon still can't make hide nor hair of despite half a lifetime squatting in the mind of the greatest necromancer of her generation._

_And then:_

I am truly, truly sorry it had to be this way. If I could have done it otherwise, I would have spared you this. All that remains of me has endured for the love of you; your life was never mine to take. By way of recompense I leave you with the choice.

If you do not elect to resurrect me in turn, I will understand, and I accept what awaits me in the River.

If you do, I'll see you on the other side.

– Harrow


End file.
